minuet

noun min·u·et \ ˌmin-yə-ˈwet \

|Updated on: 12 May 2018

Examples: minuet in a Sentence

Definition of minuet

1 : a slow graceful dance in ³/₄ time characterized by forward balancing, bowing, and toe pointing

2 : music for or in the rhythm of a minuet

See minuet defined for English-language learners

See minuet defined for kids

Examples of minuet in a Sentence

The orchestra played a minuet.

Recent Examples of minuet from the Web

Of course, none of this mushroom minuet would have mattered had the Carnaroli rice not been cooked to the ideal balance of al dente creaminess, even while soaking up a splash of potent truffle oil, lending the dish a woodsy earthiness.

— andrew marton, star-telegram, "Dining experience at San Daniele in Grapevine can be described in one word: bellisimo | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 25 Apr. 2018
The transition from the penultimate fugue to the final minuet, a series of floating chords, really did seem to be pointing beyond this world: whether toward heaven or apocalypse, Mr. Levit kept painfully ambiguous.

— zachary woolfe, New York Times, "Review: Igor Levit, a Pianist for Polarizing Times," 12 Feb. 2017
George and Martha danced a minuet, captured in a drawing displayed on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar.

— alicia ault, Smithsonian, "When Was the First Inaugural Ball?," 19 Jan. 2017
And the final march into Valhalla, staged amusingly as a pompous minuet that keeps getting interrupted by the wailing Rhinemaidens, suggested that this moment of triumph was illusory, and would be short-lived.

— heidi waleson, WSJ, "Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Black-Comedy Take on Wagner," 10 Oct. 2016
The mystery genre is a minuet between disruption and order.

— laura miller, The New Yorker, "Tana French’s Intimate Crime Fiction," 3 Oct. 2016
The cakewalk was a dance, created by slaves in imitation (some accounts say in mockery) of the white minuet.

— john jeremiah sullivan, New York Times, "‘Shuffle Along’ and the Lost History of Black Performance in America," 24 Mar. 2016
The mechanics of a Pipeline stop are much like a minuet, except the trooper is the only one who hears the music or knows the steps--all of which lead inexorably to a thorough search of your car.

— gary webb, Esquire, "Driving While Black," 29 Jan. 2007

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'minuet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.